Mapping Research in the Obesity, Adipose Tissue, and MicroRNA Field: A Bibliometric Analysis

Change Profiles and Functional Targets of MicroRNAs in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Obesity

BACKGRUOUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) exert an essential contribution to obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to investigate the differences of miRNAs in the presence and absence of T2DM in patients with obesity, as well as before and after bariatric surgery in T2DM patients with obesity. Characterization of the common changes in both was further analyzed.

METHODS

We enrolled 15 patients with obesity but without T2DM and 15 patients with both obesity and T2DM. Their preoperative clinical data and serum samples were collected, as well as 1 month after bariatric surgery. The serum samples were analyzed by miRNA sequencing, and the miRNAs profiles and target genes characteristics were compared.

RESULTS

Patients with T2DM had 16 up-regulated and 32 down-regulated miRNAs compared to patients without T2DM. Improvement in metabolic metrics after bariatric surgery of T2DM patients with obesity was correlated with changes in miRNAs, as evidenced by the upregulation of 20 miRNAs and the downregulation of 30 miRNAs. Analysis of the two miRNAs profiles identified seven intersecting miRNAs that showed opposite changes. The target genes of these seven miRNAs were substantially enriched in terms or pathways associated with T2DM.

CONCLUSION

We determined the expression profiles of miRNAs in the obese population, with and without diabetes, before and after bariatric surgery. The miRNAs that intersected in the two comparisons were discovered. Both the miRNAs discovered and their target genes were closely associated with T2DM, demonstrating that they might be potential targets for the regulation of T2DM.

Global research trends on the links between insulin resistance and obesity: a visualization analysis

Background

Obesity increases the chance of developing insulin resistance. Numerous inflammatory markers have been linked to an increased risk of insulin resistance in obese individuals. Therefore, we performed a bibliometric analysis to determine global research activity and current trends in the field of obesity and insulin resistance.

Methods

Scopus was used between 2002 and 2021 to retrieve publications related to terms related to obesity and insulin resistance. Data were exported to Microsoft Excel. Additionally, we use VOSviewer software to create visualization maps that describe international collaborations and research hotspots.

Results

We identified 6626 publications, including 5754 journal articles, 498 review articles, and 109 letters to the editor. The most productive countries were the United States (n = 995, 30.11%), followed by China (n = 650, 9.81%), Italy (n = 412, 6.22%) and Spain (n = 386, 5.83%). Previously to 2012, this field was mainly focused on ‘adipocyte dysfunctions that link obesity with insulin resistance”; and ‘relationship between obesity, insulin resistance, and risk of cardiovascular disease’. ‘Supplements improve insulin sensitivity‘, and ‘obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance’ were found more recently (after 2014), indicating that research in this field has acquired significant interest and emphasis in recent years.

Conclusions

This is the first bibliometric study to focus on publications related to insulin resistance and obesity at the global level. Our reporting of quantifiable knowledge in this field may be useful in providing evidence and direction for future research, clinical practice, and educational initiatives.

Changes in subcutaneous adipose tissue microRNA expression in response to exercise training in obese African women

The mechanisms that underlie exercise-induced adaptations in adipose tissue have not been elucidated, yet, accumulating studies suggest an important role for microRNAs (miRNAs). This study aimed to investigate miRNA expression in gluteal subcutaneous adipose tissue (GSAT) in response to a 12-week exercise intervention in South African women with obesity, and to assess depot-specific differences in miRNA expression in GSAT and abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASAT). In addition, the association between exercise-induced changes in miRNA expression and metabolic risk was evaluated. Women underwent 12-weeks of supervised aerobic and resistance training (n = 19) or maintained their regular physical activity during this period (n = 12). Exercise-induced miRNAs were identified in GSAT using Illumina sequencing, followed by analysis of differentially expressed miRNAs in GSAT and ASAT using quantitative real-time PCR. Associations between the changes (pre- and post-exercise training) in miRNA expression and metabolic parameters were evaluated using Spearman's correlation tests. Exercise training significantly increased the expression of miR-155-5p (1.5-fold, p = 0.045), miR-329-3p (2.1-fold, p < 0.001) and miR-377-3p (1.7-fold, p = 0.013) in GSAT, but not in ASAT. In addition, a novel miRNA, MYN0617, was identified in GSAT, with low expression in ASAT. The exercise-induced differences in miRNA expression were correlated with each other and associated with changes in high-density lipoprotein concentrations. Exercise training induced adipose-depot specific miRNA expression within subcutaneous adipose tissue depots from South African women with obesity. The significance of the association between exercise-induced miRNAs and metabolic risk warrants further investigation.

Differences in circulating obesity-related microRNAs in Austrian and Japanese men: A two-country cohort analysis

Background

The prevalence of obesity is higher in Western countries than in East Asian countries. It remains unknown whether microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the pathogenesis of the ethnic difference in obesity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether expression levels of circulating obesity-associated miRNAs are different in Europeans and Asians.

Methods

The subjects were middle-aged healthy male Austrians (n = 20, mean age of 49.9 years) and Japanese (n = 20, mean age of 48.7 years). Total miRNAs in serum from each subject were analyzed using the 3D-Gene miRNA Oligo chip. miRNAs that showed significant differences between the Austrian and Japanese groups were uploaded into Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA).

Results

Among 16 miRNAs that were revealed to be associated with obesity in previous studies and showed expression levels that were high enough for a reasonable comparison, serum levels of 3 miRNAs displayed significant differences between the Austrian and Japanese groups: miR-125b-1-3p was significantly lower with a fold change of −2.94 and miR-20a-5p and miR-486–5p were significantly higher with fold changes of 1.73 and 2.38, respectively, in Austrians than in Japanese. In IPA including all 392 miRNAs that showed significant differences between Austrians and Japanese, three canonical pathways including leptin signaling in obesity, adipogenesis pathway and white adipose tissue browning pathway were identified as enriched pathways.

Conclusions

miRNAs are thought to be involved in the ethnic difference in the prevalence of obesity, which may in part be caused by different expression levels of miR-125b-1-3p, miR-20a-5p and miR-486–5p.

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Ethnic difference in circulating obesity-related microRNAs (miRs) were investigated.

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Levels of 2565 miRs in blood were compared between Austrians and Japanese.

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miR-125b-1-3p, −20a-5p and -486–5p levels were significantly different between them.

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Significant ethnic differences were found in blood levels of 392 miRs.

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These miRs target the molecules comprising obesity-related three canonical pathways.

A bibliometric analysis of research on herbal medicine for obesity over the past 20 years

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to analyze published papers on the use of herbal medicine in obesity research over the past 20 years using bibliometric methods and present an overview of global research trends.

METHODS

English articles on herbal medicine for obesity published from 2001 to 2020 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database using the search terms "herbal" AND "obesity". Microsoft Office Excel was used to sort and analyze the statistical data. Bibliographic analysis and data visualization were performed using visualization of similarities viewer based on publication year, country of publication, journal, research area, author, affiliated institution, and keywords.

RESULTS

A total of 463 English articles were retrieved, and we observed a trend in which the number of publications on herbal medicine for obesity has gradually increased over the past 20 years. The most productive countries and research organizations in this field were Korea and Kyunghee University, respectively. Many papers have been published in research areas, such as pharmacology pharmacy and integrative complementary medicine, and the journals with the most published articles in this field were Journal of Ethnopharmacology and Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The main research keywords formed 3 clusters, and keywords with the most occurrences were "obesity," "adipose-tissue," and "insulin resistance."

CONCLUSION

This study presents an overview of the global research trend of herbal medicine for obesity from the bibliographic analysis. An increased understanding of the recently changing research topics provides a new perspective on future research directions. This study may help guide the research in the field of obesity in the future.

Mapping of Intragastric Balloon Use: a Guide to the Activity of Institutions Through Bibliometry

BACKGROUND

Bibliometric analysis is an effective method for measuring scientific contributions in a variety of fields. It enables the numerical analysis of publications in a specific field and period of time, as well as the relationships between these publications. The present bibliometric analysis of publications relating to obesity treatment by means of intragastric balloons aimed to identify the bariatric centers using intragastric balloons, through the publications relating to their productivity; and furthermore, to reveal collaborations, types of balloons used, number of patients involved, and authors' productivity and favored journals.

METHOD

The PubMed and Scopus databases were used to retrieve only original articles presenting the results in body weight reduction.

RESULTS

Bibliographic research identified 164 publications for the period 2000-2021. Italy was ranked first with 37 publications; USA participated as collaborator with 9 different countries; the fluid-filled Orbera balloon is featured in 126 publications; the journal Obesity Surgery hosted 86 publications; Brazil reported the greatest number of patients with 5874 cases; Lorenzo M and Genco A, co-authors from Italy, authored 14 and 12 publications, respectively, and the most cited article was that of Genco et al. [2007] with 441 citations.

CONCLUSIONS

Bibliometric analysis gave us the opportunity to identify the centers through their scientific publications and to classify them in relation to their productivity in articles, in collaborations, in number of cases reported, and in the number of citations gained.

Global Research Trends in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus from 2000 to 2020: A Bibliometric Study

AIMS

This study analyzed major trends and topics in the field of gestational diabetes mellitus research between 2000 and 2020.

METHODS

Studies that investigated gestational diabetes mellitus published between 2000 and 2020 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Data from the identified studies were analyzed using CiteSpace software.

RESULTS

A total of 22,713 publications were retrieved, among which 21,722 publications were included in this scientometric analysis. Clustering analysis revealed 13 themes across all fields. Physical activity is an emerging trend. Co-word analysis showed that subject high-frequency keywords were: risk factor, obesity, insulin resistance, prevalence, and association. Centrality indices identified the most influential keywords to be: body mass index, risk factors, gestational weight gain, and obesity. Burst keywords revealed that there were six research frontier subtopics: i) prediction of adverse neonatal outcomes in gestational diabetes mellitus; ii) postpartum period research - blood glucose levels and insulin resistance; iii) meta-analysis - understanding the best evidence in pregnancy gestational diabetes mellitus; iv) gene expression profiles and DNA methylation in gestational diabetes mellitus; v) biomarkers for predicting higher birth and children weights; and vi) discussion on diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus classification.

CONCLUSION

The number of studies on gestational diabetes mellitus is increasing. For two decades, the United States has been the global leader in the number of published studies. Studies on gestational diabetes mellitus are mainly from developed countries, with a few of them being from developing countries. An emerging field of research aims at elucidating the association between physical activity and gestational diabetes mellitus.

Impact of the Main Cardiovascular Risk Factors on Plasma Extracellular Vesicles and Their Influence on the Heart's Vulnerability to Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

The majority of cardiovascular deaths are associated with acute coronary syndrome, especially ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Therapeutic reperfusion alone can contribute up to 40 percent of total infarct size following coronary artery occlusion, which is called ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Its size depends on many factors, including the main risk factors of cardiovascular mortality, such as age, sex, systolic blood pressure, smoking, and total cholesterol level as well as obesity, diabetes, and physical effort. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-coated particles released by every type of cell, which can carry content that affects the functioning of other tissues. Their role is essential in the communication between healthy and dysfunctional cells. In this article, data on the variability of the content of EVs in patients with the most prevalent cardiovascular risk factors is presented, and their influence on IRI is discussed.

miR-4431 targets TRIP10/PRKD1 and impairs glucose metabolism

Aim/Introduction

Obesity is considered an important risk factor for many metabolic disorders, especially type 2 diabetes mellitus, and microRNAs (miRNAs) play a vital role in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Therefore, we conducted this study to investigate the role of miR‐4431 in the obesity‐associated pathobiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Materials and methods

Subjects were divided into normal control (n = 36), obese (n = 36), and type 2 diabetes mellitus (n = 12) groups, and serum miR‐4431 levels were analyzed. Adenovirus‐vectored miR‐4431 mimic or sponge was intraperitoneally injected into the normal diet group and the high‐fat diet group (HFD) mice to investigate glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and lipid levels. The downstream target genes of miR‐4431 were predicted using bioinformatics, and they were verified in vitro.

Results

Serum miR‐4431 levels were significantly high in obese and type 2 diabetes mellitus individuals, and positively correlated with the body mass index and fasting plasma glucose levels. In HFD mice, miR‐4431 levels in the serum, white adipose tissue, and liver were significantly increased. Moreover, miR‐4431 impaired glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and lipid metabolism in mice. Bioinformatic prediction suggested that TRIP10 and PRKD1 could be the downstream target genes of miR‐4431. The HFD mice showed a remarkable reduction in the mRNA levels of TRIP10 and PRKD1 in the liver, which were countered by blocking miR‐4431. In HepG2 and L02 cells, miR‐4431 could downregulate TRIP10 and PRKD1 while blocking glucose uptake. The luciferase reporter assay showed that miR‐4431 could bind TRIP10 and PRKD1 3′‐UTR.

Conclusion

miR‐4431 targets TRIP10/PRKD1 and impairs glucose metabolism.

Advances in Breast Cancer Management and Extracellular Vesicle Research, a Bibliometric Analysis

Extracellular vesicles transport variable content and have crucial functions in cell–cell communication. The role of extracellular vesicles in cancer is a current hot topic, and no bibliometric study has ever analyzed research production regarding their role in breast cancer and indicated the trends in the field. In this way, we aimed to investigate the trends in breast cancer management involved with extracellular vesicle research. Articles were retrieved from Scopus, including all the documents published concerning breast cancer and extracellular vesicles. We analyzed authors, journals, citations, affiliations, and keywords, besides other bibliometric analyses, using R Studio version 3.6.2. and VOSviewer version 1.6.0. A total of 1151 articles were retrieved, and as the main result, our analysis revealed trending topics on biomarkers of liquid biopsy, drug delivery, chemotherapy, autophagy, and microRNA. Additionally, research related to extracellular vesicles in breast cancer has been focused on diagnosis, treatment, and mechanisms of action of breast tumor-derived vesicles. Future studies are expected to explore the role of extracellular vesicles on autophagy and microRNA, besides investigating the application of extracellular vesicles from liquid biopsies for biomarkers and drug delivery, enabling the development and validation of therapeutic strategies for specific cancers.

A bibliometric analysis of research on the treatment of facial nerve palsy

BACKGROUND

There are various treatments for facial nerve palsy, and research into this topic is ongoing. In the present study, we carried out bibliometric and visualized analyses to identify the trends of research into facial nerve palsy treatment.

METHODS

To identify articles, the SCOPUS database was searched for articles published from its inception to December 27, 2020. The search was conducted twice, with Search 1 investigating general treatment trends and Search 2 narrowing the scope to complementary and alternative treatment. The extracted keywords were analyzed using the Visualization Of Similarities (VOS) viewer. Through analysis of keywords, research hotspots in the treatment of facial nerve palsy were identified.

RESULTS

A total of 1609 and 223 articles were identified in Searches 1 and 2, respectively. The number of articles published each year showed a tendency to increase, and most of the studies were only conducted in a few countries. In terms of subject area, "medicine" was overwhelmingly the most common(77.6%). Based on the analysis of 316 keywords in Search1, "medication treatment," and "complementary and alternative treatment" were the hotspots of research.

CONCLUSION

This study provides the overall trends of facial nerve palsy treatment. To date, research on medication treatment has been main focus, and antiviral use among medication treatment and complementary and alternative treatment has emerged in recent years.

Global Research Trends in Shock Wave for Therapy from 1990 to 2019: A Bibliometric and Visualized Study

Objective

The publications of application and development of shock wave therapy showed consistent growth. The aim of this study was to investigate the global status and trends in the shock wave therapy field.

Methods

Publications about shock wave therapy from 1990 to 2019 were collected from the Web of Science database. The data were studied and indexed by using bibliometric methodology. For a visualized study, VOSviewer software was used to conduct bibliographic coupling analysis, coauthorship analysis, cocitation analysis, and co-occurrence analysis and to analyze the publication trends in shock wave therapy.

Results

A total of 3,274 articles were included. The number of publications was increasing per year globally. The USA made the largest contributions to the global research with the most citations (the highest h-index). The Journal of Urology had the highest publication number. The University of California System was the most contributive institution. Studies could be divided into seven clusters: urology, hepatology, cardiology, orthopedics, mechanism research of shock wave therapy, andrology, and principle of shock wave therapy. Orthopedics, andrology, and mechanism research of shock wave therapy could be the next hot topics in this field.

Conclusions

Base on the trends, shock wave therapy is the theme of a globally active research field which keeps developing and extends from bench to bedside.